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Overview

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About the Curriculum:

Supported by a grant from the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health, Youth Community Service (YCS) developed the following curriculum for middle school students (grades 6-8). The structure of the curriculum was developed through the integration of: (a) Youth Community Service’s best practices in after-school programming in East Palo Alto; (b) Guiding Principles for Quality After-School Programs Serving Preteens developed by Public/Private Ventures for the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health; and (c) K-12 Service-Learning Standards for Quality Practice developed by the National Youth Leadership Council and RMC Research Corporation.

The goals of the curriculum are to empower middle school students to become youth leaders and to provide them with skills that will enable them to help their communities solve some of society’s challenging problems.
The curriculum provides students with activities that promote deep thinking about important social issues. The curriculum also links academic studies with community service projects and many of the curriculum activities encourage student learning through research, group discussion, study, action and reflection.

The YCS After-School Curriculum is based on a service-learning framework. As a teaching method that is based on the integration of academic content with community service, service-learning promotes both active learning and service to the community. Service-learning can be infused into classroom academic curricula, as well as be incorporated into an after-school environment.

As forms of community engagement through service, both community service and service-learning provide individuals with opportunities to make an active difference in their communities. However, when young people engage in service-learning they are better situated to: (a) link the service experience to academic curriculum; (b) develop meaningful partnerships in the community and access greater resources from community partners; (c), engage in meaningful service; (d) have intentional opportunities for youth voice; (e) honor diverse perspectives; and (f) engage in reflection and evaluation. In addition, service-learning experiences provide students with the opportunity to engage in activities that address a community problem or issue for a sustained period of time.

About the Indicators for Quality After-School Programming

The YCS After-school Curriculum is also based on the Guiding Principles for Quality After-School Programs Serving Preteens developed by Public/Private Ventures (P/PV) for the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health. P/PV identified six after-school principles, or program components, that are associated with positive outcomes for preteens. When these components are included in an after-school program, students are: (a) goal-oriented in their after-school activities for a sustained period of time; (b) able to develop meaningful and supportive relationships with adults; (c) more inclusive of diverse perspectives and more interactive with others from different cultural backgrounds; and (d) supported in including their family members in the after-school experience. In addition, students and after-school staff are able to assess the successes and challenges of the after-school activities.

When taken together, the indicators for quality service-learning programs and the indicators for quality after-school programming encourage students to make deeper connections to the service experiences and to engage in deeper learning about the relevant social issues.

How to Use the Curriculum

The curriculum is designed for after-school clubs and extended-day programs that meet one to three times per week throughout the academic year. The curriculum is organized into nine monthly thematic units. Each unit contains eight suggested learning activities, two suggested service projects, and one reflection activity. After-school leaders may choose to use some, or all of the units throughout the academic year. Further, leaders may choose to use all activities, or a selected set of activities within each unit. However, it is recommended that within each unit, leaders choose at least two to four learning activities, one service project, and the reflection activity for that unit.

Evaluation

Continuous program improvement is essential for high-quality after-school programming. Within a service-learning framework, assessment of both the academic content learned and the students’ increased understanding about the social issues that relate to the service experiences is critical. Further, evaluation of the service activity helps both after-school staff and students know whether the goals of the service-learning project were met and whether the service-learning project was beneficial to all community partners.

It is recommended that at the completion of each unit of the YCS After-School Curriculum the after-school staff evaluate:

The students’ learning of the objectives for each activity covered;

The academic standards (where listed) for each activity (were they met or not met?); and

The quality of the service experience -

Was the service beneficial to all participants?

Was the service experience inclusive of diverse cultures and perspectives?

Was there sufficient integration of youth voice?

Was there enough time to plan and complete the service experience?

Were the students successful in engaging their families in activities related to the unit?

About YCS

As a leader in after-school programming in Palo Alto and East Palo Alto, California, YCS has extensive experience in integrating academic learning at the middle and high school levels with community service activities. Founded in 1990, Youth Community Service is a non-profit organization that has worked successfully with preteens and teens and community partners to promote the ethic of service, foster leadership skills, build community, and enhance educational opportunities. YCS represents a uniquely effective community education partnership among the cities of Palo Alto and East Palo Alto, and the Ravenswood, Sequoia and Palo Alto school districts. For over 20 years, YCS has engaged more than 17,000 young people in service opportunities within these communities. Additionally, YCS has been designated by the California Department of Education CalServe Initiative as the Service Learning Lead for one of twelve state regions. YCS is responsible for professional development for educators in service-learning strategies in five counties (San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Monterey and San Benito).